Tortorella pays the first price after an underachieving Rangers campaign

John
Tortorella has led his team to the fourth best regular season record in the
Eastern Conference over the last five years. Only Pittsburgh, Boston and
Washington have had better records over that span.

Unfortunately
for Mr. Tortorella, the phrase “what have you done for me lately” rings even
more loudly in the cathedral of Madison Square Garden than almost any other
arena in hockey. For the Rangers, what started as fan-chatter in February
evolved into genuine worry in March, and playoff-panic through April eventually
reached a boiling point in May following a series of disappointing Ranger
performances throughout the 2013 NHL post-season.

No one can
deny that Torts has led the Rangers to regular season success in New York, but
with both the Bruins and Pens winning the Stanley Cup over that span, Ranger
fans have clamored for something more.

John
Tortorella leaves New York with a record of 171-115-29 in the regular season, but
a record of only 19-25 in the postseason. Last year, (their most successful
during his regime) the Rangers finished first in the conference and won two
post-season series, but only boasted a post-season record of .500 (10-10).

The Rangers
went 26-18-4 this season and finished 6th in the Eastern Conference.
He also exercised some of the post-season demons he’s had by eliminating the
Washington Capitals from the playoffs for the second season in a row.